Sébastien Loeb Racing joins TCR teams for Valencia test

Sébastien Loeb Racing has become the latest team to indicate a dual campaign in both the WTCC and TCR, after the team fielded a new Peugeot 308 Racing Cup car for Aurélien Comte at the championship’s pre-season test in Valencia.

The Peugeot 308 GTI Racing Cup, based on the 308 GTI, is set to be one of at least two new brands on the TCR grid this year alongside Alfa Romeo, with new models also on the grid with Opel also bringing their new Astra to replace their much maligned VLN model, which was run with limited success by Campos Racing last season.

The main teams of the TCR International Series are taking part in a two-day test at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo, just outside of Valencia.

New-to-TCR team B3 Racing are present with their SEAT León Cup Racer, as are Leopard Racing and Engstler Motorsport with their Volkswagen Golfs, Target Competition with the Opel Astra, JAS Motorsport with the Honda Civic and Romeo Ferraris with their new Alfa Romeo Giulietta.

The B3 SEATs are being driven by the Hungarian squad’s three star line-up of 2015 ETCC champion Dusan Borkovic, Slovakian ETCC race winner Mat’o Homola and 16-year-old upcoming Hungarian challenger Attila Tassi.

The two Leopard Racing VWs, run by Team WRT, are being driven by 2015 TCR champion Stefano COmini and his new team-mate Jean-Karl Vernay.

Engstler are fielding a number of drivers for their various International, Asian and German series campaigns, including 2015 ETCC TC2T champion Davit Kajaia and team-mate Michail Grachev, Andy Yan and Filipe de Souza (TCR Asia) and Tim Zimmerman and Tom Lautenschlager, bound for TCR Germany.

Michaela Cerruti is testing the new Romeo Ferraris-built Alfa Romeo Giulietta, while Finnish driver Aku Pellinen is testing the JAS Motorsport Honda Civic TCR.

Last year’s champions Target Competition are present with two of their new Opel Astra TCRs, with drivers Jordi Oriola, Josh Files, Loriz Hezemans and Mike Beckhusen testing the cars.

Top Run Racing are due to take part in the test tomorrow with their Subaru WRX STi, when the Balance of Performance test will also take place, with veteran touring car and former Formula 1 driver Nicola Larini evaluating every car at the circuit.